Sound familiar?
- Your static posts get scrolled past while competitors' animated ones stop people
- Your videos start and end without any branding
- Your logo animation is a stock template others are using too
- An animated GIF on your website weighs several megabytes and slows the page
- Your editor needs a logo with a transparent background and you've only got a JPG
- Text in your animation sits behind the TikTok or Reels buttons
Key facts
- Motion graphics are quoted as a fixed price per job; design time is £45 an hour + VAT
- Social animations in 9:16 (1080 x 1920 px), 4:5 and 1:1, with platform safe zones respected
- MP4 (H.264) for social and video platforms, GIF for email and quick previews
- Lottie (JSON) animations for websites and apps: small, sharp and scalable
- Transparent ProRes 4444 or WebM files so editors can overlay logos and titles
- Captions designed in, since many people watch social video with the sound off
- Animations kept within the WCAG limit of no more than three flashes per second
What motion graphics are for
Motion graphics are animated design: logos, type, icons, illustrations and shapes brought to life, rather than filmed footage. They're useful when you need to explain something abstract, add polish to video you already have, or make a social post move without a film shoot. Typical jobs include:
- Animated logos and idents for the start and end of videos, presentations and social clips.
- Short social animations: offers, announcements, tips and quote cards that move.
- Explainer clips showing how a product, service or process works.
- Video graphics: lower thirds with names and job titles, title cards, captions and end screens.
- Website animation: animated icons, illustrations and small hero animations.
If you need filmed footage, see video production, from £695 + VAT, and social media video. Motion graphics often go on top of that footage.
Sizes and safe zones for social animation
Vertical video dominates on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts, so most social animations are built at 9:16, 1080 x 1920 px. TikTok's Ads Manager help centre recommends 9:16 for in-feed ads and publishes safe-zone overlays, because captions and buttons cover the bottom and right of the screen. Meta's Ads Guide suggests keeping about the top 14%, bottom 35% and 6% at each side of a Story or Reel free of text and logos.
We animate with those overlays switched on, then supply 4:5 and 1:1 versions for feeds where needed. Captions and key text are designed into the animation, because a lot of social video is watched without sound.
The right file for each use
The same animation often needs several exports, and picking the wrong one is why animations end up blurry, huge or with a black box behind them.
| Use | Format we supply |
|---|---|
| Social media and YouTube | MP4 (H.264), at the platform's size and frame rate |
| Websites and apps | Lottie (JSON) for vector animation, or a short muted MP4 or WebM |
| Animated GIF, kept short and light, with a sensible first frame | |
| Video editors and broadcasters | ProRes 4444 or WebM with transparency (alpha channel) |
| Presentations | MP4 embedded in PowerPoint or Keynote |
Lottie files are worth knowing about: they play vector animation from a small JSON file, stay sharp on any screen and are usually far lighter than a GIF of the same animation.
Accessible and comfortable motion
Animation should help, not annoy. We keep flashing within the WCAG guideline of no more than three flashes in any one second, which protects people with photosensitive epilepsy. On websites, we recommend your developer respects the "reduce motion" setting many people turn on in their phone or computer, and we can supply a still version for that. Looping animations are kept gentle, and text stays on screen long enough to read twice.
We also think about file weight. A looping animation on a homepage should be small enough not to slow the page, so for web we prefer Lottie or a short, muted MP4 over a large GIF. For email, where GIF is often the only option that plays, we keep the loop short and make sure the first frame works on its own, because some versions of Outlook show only that frame.
Price and how a job runs
Motion graphics vary a lot in length and complexity, so they're quoted as a fixed price using our design rate of £45 an hour + VAT. We usually start with a storyboard or style frames, a few stills showing how key moments will look, so you approve the design before animation begins. Then we animate, share a preview, refine and export every format you need.
Animations work best when built from a clear brand, so we start from your logo and brand guidelines, and can animate existing illustrations or social media graphics. Request a quote.
What you get
- Animated logo or ident with and without sound
- Social media animations in 9:16, 4:5 and 1:1
- MP4 files encoded for each platform
- Lottie JSON files for web and app use
- Transparent overlay files (ProRes 4444 or WebM) for video editors
- Lower thirds, title cards and end screens for your videos
- Editable project files where agreed
How it works and what it costs
Logos from £150, brochures from £295, photography from £295 a half day and CAD at £45 an hour, all + VAT. You get a fixed price before we start.
Tell us the brief
What it is for, who will see it, where it will be used and any examples you like. Rough is fine.
Fixed price
We confirm the price and what you get, in writing, before any work starts.
First designs
We design, shoot or model it and share the first version for your comments.
Refine
We make the changes, check every detail, and prepare the files properly for print, web or manufacture.
Final files
You get the finished files in the formats you need, ready for your printer, website, social channels or manufacturer.
Frequently asked questions
How much do motion graphics cost in the UK?
dijitul quotes motion graphics as a fixed price per job, based on our design rate of £45 an hour + VAT. A five-second logo animation takes much less time than a sixty-second explainer, so the price depends on length, complexity and how many formats you need.
Can you animate our logo?
Yes. dijitul animates logos for video intros and outros, presentations and social media. You receive MP4 files with and without sound, a transparent version for video editors, and a Lottie or GIF version for web or email if you need one.
What size should a social media animation be?
For TikTok, Reels, Stories and YouTube Shorts, 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 px. For feeds, 4:5 or 1:1. dijitul animates within each platform's safe zones so captions and buttons don't cover your message, and designs text in for viewers watching with sound off.
What is a Lottie file?
Lottie is a JSON-based animation format that plays vector animation on websites and in apps. It stays sharp at any size and is usually much smaller than a GIF or video of the same animation. dijitul supplies Lottie files for web icons and illustrations.
Do you film video as well as animate?
Yes. dijitul films video on location, from £695 + VAT, with travel beyond Mansfield and Nottinghamshire added to the quote. Motion graphics such as titles, lower thirds and animated logos can then be added to the edit.
Can I get a logo animation with a transparent background?
Yes. dijitul supplies transparent video as ProRes 4444 for editing software or WebM with alpha for the web, so your editor can drop the animated logo over any footage without a black or white box behind it.
Related
Get a fixed price
Send a rough brief. You'll know exactly what it costs before we start.